Summary

Cultural Differences between Construction Professionals in Denmark and United Kingdom

This report concerns an investigation into cultural differences between professional members of the construction sector of Denmark and the United Kingdom. In particular, it refers to differences between Arkitekter/Architects, Civilingeniører / Civil Engineers and Bygningskonstruktører / Building Surveyors in the two countries and considers the implications for co-operation, competition and conflict under the centrally imposed Services Procurement Directive (92/50/EEC) of the European Union.
The Building Productivity group at SBI in Denmark has become increasingly concerned about the lack of research into culture, which they believe to be a major variable affecting performance at both the strategic and project levels. In particular their interests relate to the effects of culture on the processes, which affect productivity within construction.
Data has been collected and statistically analysed using a well-established method of measurement for cultural characteristics, combined with interviews with representatives of the various groups.
Definition and measurement of culture are notoriously difficult. For the purposes of this investigation, Hofstede's (1984) understanding of the term has been adopted i.e. culture is considered to be a kind of collective mental programming of people in a particular setting; a set of values, beliefs, attitudes and patterns of behaviour which are shared by a group of people in an environment. Measurement of culture also presents difficulties, particularly in respect of the identification of cultural groups and boundaries. This is further complicated by the nature and structure of the construction sector in which projects are temporary and participants are subject to the values and beliefs etc.. of their employing organisation, professional groups and project organisations. In view of these problems it has been necessary to investigate culture at three different levels and consequently analysis has been undertaken in three distinct areas:

1. A national comparison from the whole sample
2. A cross-national comparison of each of the professions
3. A comparison of the professions within their own countries.

In brief, the findings show that cultural differences are much more significant between the professional groups within each country than between similar groups across the countries or at a national level, although differences do occur within each category.
Main cultural factors identified at a national level can be summarised as:

• a lower degree of social inequality in Denmark compared to the UK
• a similar and high desire to avoid uncertainty (as exemplified by adherence to rules and desire for employment stability) in both countries.
• a higher degree of individualism and masculinity amongst Danish construction professionals than in the UK.

Between comparable professional groups in each country significant cultural differences are shown to be:

Arkitekter / Architects

• No differences

Ingeniører / Engineers

• Danish Ingeniører are less concerned with the concept of power hierarchy and more self-reliant than the British Engineers.

Bygningskonstruktører / Building Surveyors

• Whilst these two groups are very similar, the Danes are more concerned to avoid tension and stress at work, whilst the British are more concerned to follow established procedures in the workplace.

Both of the inter-professional comparisons yielded similar results.
The following significant differences between the groups were demonstrated:

• Arkitekter /Architects and Bygningskonstruktører / Building Surveyors place a high degree of importance on having good working conditions and living environment, whilst Ingeniører / Engineers are much less concerned about their working environment.

• Arkitekter /Architects seem to have more confidence in themselves than the other groups, but rather less confidence / trust in other people.

• Bygningskonstruktører / Building Surveyors are subject to higher levels of anxiety at work than either Arkitekter /Architects or Civilingeniører / Civil Engineers. Whilst this may lead this particular group into more instances of conflict, the supporting evidence would seem to show that the cause is not a matter of aggression on the part of the profession, but rather one of uncertainty brought about by working in a very wide-ranging discipline.
• Bygningskonstruktører / Building Surveyors are less likely to break rules and behave unconventionally at work than either of the other professions.

Concerning the European Procurement Directives all participants agreed that the European Procurement Directives were:

• unlikely to help improve uncertainty of levels of future workload
• unlikely to help Clients achieve "value for money"
• unlikely to improve opportunities for transnational co-operation (although British Engineers showed some small signs of optimism here)
• unlikely to create more opportunities for small firms to win work.
• too rigid as a set of rules, and that a set of simple guidelines would be preferable.

In conclusion, the report recommends that:

• results of this and further studies be used to develop a cultural profiling model and methods for the sector, that will help to identify potential areas of conflict and harmony between participants whether in relation to domestic or international projects.
• further studies be undertaken at a domestic level, to include contractors and other actors in the building process to provide a fuller picture of the sector's culture and of other sub-cultures within it.
• wider ranging studies be undertaken on a European-wide basis in order to enhance understanding of common characteristics in other Member States.

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